Dr Jenner’s House, Museum and Garden in Berkeley has announced that Luke Jerram’s glass artwork Smallpox is now on display at the museum, offering visitors a striking new way to reflect on the disease that Edward Jenner’s work helped to defeat.
The artwork, part of Jerram’s celebrated Glass Microbiology series, presents the smallpox virus as a delicate, beautiful and thought-provoking glass object. Displayed in the home of Edward Jenner, the pioneer of vaccination, it invites visitors to consider the relationship between science, art, disease, public health and hope.
The display forms part of a busy summer at Dr Jenner’s House. The museum will be open on Saturdays throughout July and August, giving more people the opportunity to visit the historic house, garden and collections. The Temple of Vaccinia has also reopened following major restoration, allowing visitors to see the small, thatched garden building where Jenner vaccinated local people free of charge.
Visitors can also see the museum’s new temporary exhibition, Under the Skin: A Complicated History of Vaccine Confidence. Blending art, science and history, the exhibition explores the complicated history of vaccine confidence, resistance and public trust, tracing debates around vaccination from Jenner’s cowpox vaccine to the present day.
James Rodliff, Director of Dr Jenner’s House, said: “Luke Jerram’s Smallpox is a powerful and beautiful object to encounter here at Dr Jenner’s House. It helps us think about the scale of smallpox, the human impact of the disease, and the extraordinary global achievement of its eradication. Displaying it alongside Under the Skin, our new exhibition exploring vaccine confidence and public trust, opens up important conversations about how people have responded to vaccination from Jenner’s time to today.”
This summer, visitors can discover the story of Edward Jenner, vaccination and smallpox eradication in the place where that story began. With the reopened Temple of Vaccinia, a major temporary exhibition and a new artwork on display, there is even more reason to visit.
All this activity forms part of the museum’s work to develop and engage ever broader audiences. The museum is very keen to gather views on how they shape the future of the museum. All are welcome to join a public consultation with a glass of wine on July 15th, 6-8pm at the museum. Alternatively, views can be shared via the online survey on the homepage of the museum website: www.jennermuseum.com
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